The staircase was extremely poorly constructed. It might be more accurate to call it an uneven hill road rather than a staircase. From that point on, there were no longer any Green Light Stones, plunging the area ahead in complete darkness and oozing an ominous aura. It was like looking into the mouth of an enormous monster. The feeling of –It's impossible to leave once you've entered– naturally arose.
This level was very dark. It's natural for an underground dungeon, but all the levels that he had been to so far had Green Light Stones, and though those levels were dim, it was not so much that he couldn't even see ahead. However, it seemed like this level did not have any Green Light Stones. Stopping for a little while, Hajime and Ken were expecting their eyes to somewhat get used to seeing in the dark, but no matter how long passed, there were no differences. As a last resort, Ken took out the flat stone he uses as a hot plate and activated the fire spark magic circle to serve as a lamp from the backpack.
Bluntly speaking, possessing a light source in the darkness is equivalent to suicide if there were magic beasts around. However, since they weren't able to even move on without this, Ken could only take the plunge.After progressing for a while, noticing something shining within the passageway, Ken raised his awareness and signals Nagumo to get a green light stone ready.
After a few steps, Ken stops and points the flame in certain direction.There was a gray lizard approximately two meter in length stuck to the wall, glaring at the team with its golden eyes.
"Now!! Nagumo"
Ken calls out as Nagumo blinds the monster with a flash with Ken blowing it's brain out with a single shot after the flash died down.Ken and Nagumo's walkthrough of the labyrinth continues after harvesting the monster's meat.
____________________
The team of hybrids stand silently and look at a huge door with a tired look.The space around the area was eerie. At the end of this side area was a solemn majestic double door about 3m in height. On the flanks of the doors were two one-eyed giants sculptures enshrined into the walls; only their upper bodies were sculpted it seemed. Ken breaks the silence as if he couldn't stand it.
"Sigh! how many levels does this make"
"Five or forty-five...I guess. I don't know, we've hunted and fought too many times to count" replies Nagumo still looking at the giant door.
"Five!!?. You can't be serious, this is about 50 levels below. Have eating trees and bugs stopped your brain" exclaims Ken as he laughs at Nagumo. After fighting as a team for a while they start to get their oldselves back.
"You can say what you want about it but to me they're abilities and it sucks to be you since they were more delicious than even the talon bear" counters Nagumo with a mocking look.
"Damn Nagumo, I didn't know you were such a foodie. You ate the disgusting poison frog, the monster moth, caterpillars and even the treants while I ate only the basilisk and owl monster and visually appealing meat. At least they looked pleasing"
Nagumo just chuckled hearing what Ken said. He got a variety of abilities but Ken only got petrification resist, night vision, presence awareness from the few monsters he wasn't picky about. Nagumo turn to the door and was feeling something.
Hajime was feeling danger, excitement and unpleasantness at the same time. If he opened the door, he was sure that a disaster was waiting to meet him. However, a new wind blew into this labyrinth.
"As if it was a Pandora's box…I wonder what aspiration it contained." said Ken.
"Well let's find out then, shall we?!"
Exclaims Nagumo as he move towards the door and tries to open it but a spark of red lightning jolts him back as he immediately flash steps back beside Ken. A fist smashes where he used to stand, the duo look up and Ken proclaim
"So they came to life eh?. At this point it's not even surprising. well, since you brought them to life deal with it. Am going ahead"
Ken ghost steps past the cyclops to the wall and walks through a pathway created with [Deconstruction] leaving Nagumo to deal with the cyclops. Gun shots are head indicating the start of their battle.
{A/N: Ghost steps is the combination of a zigzag footwork and flash steps. Moving in and out of your opponents line of vision creates the ghost steps or shukujihou}
There was not a single source of light behind the room Ken came into. Darkness spread in the big space the room had. With the help of his "Night Vision" , Ken was able to make out the room little by little. Two columns of pillars lined up all the way into the depths. The room was made from finely crafted marbles and it looked similar to the Church room they were first summoned into. In the center of the room was a huge cube of stone that reflected the incoming light and lustered.
Ken was staring at the cube, when he noticed that something was growing in the front center of the cube.
Trying to confirm what he saw, Ken took out a container filled with tar from a Flame Ore obtained in the second level and proceeds to spread it by the path leading to the cube, shooting it to ignite as the fire illuminates the room a little.
"…Who?"
A husky voice belonging to a frail girl. Ken stared at the center of the room in a fake surprise. The early "growing" was now moving. With the light finally piercing the darkness, the identity of it was exposed.
"Its…a human?"
The "growing" was a person. Only the face could be seen, every other part was buried in the cube. Long blond hair hung down around the woman, like a ghost from a certain horror film. Pupils of red was peeping from the gaps of hair, just like a low-altitude moon. From her looks, she looked around 12-13 years old. The dangled hair looked haggard, but it still had a beautiful appearance.
Ken moves closer to the figure and gazes intensively.
"Now which type of monster are you?. An illusion special magic perhaps?. This looks dangerous, I have to leave" said Ken as he heads for the exit.
"W-Wait! Please! Save me…"
"Naaha"
"W-Why? I will do anything."
The girl was desperate. Only the head was seen, but her face was enough to transmit her feelings. Ken felt bad seeing the situation first hand so he throws in the last carrot.
"Look, this place is the abyss of the labyrinth. Everything here wants to either eat me or just kill for fun. So what here indicates otherwise. You looking like you've been sealed raises some serious red flags"
"No! Cough…I'm not bad!…Please! I'm"
"I was just betrayed."
Ken displays a conflicting look that was 'OSCAR' worthy and said as he approached her.
"Please do not let me regret this"
Ken proceeds to touch the cube and used matter manipulation on it. Sparks appeared around his hands indicating strong resistance but Ken forces his way through with determination his eyes thinking.
' You dare stop me from freeing my wife-to-be?! '
He manages to free her in a few seconds and catch her frail body from falling. They stare at each other until the girl speaks.
"Th...thank you for saving me. Can I ask your name?"
"Kiyama Kenshiro and you?"
"I....don't have one..."
"Amnesia?"
"No I want my....old name. I want you to give me one, please"
Ken silently looks into her eyes and said
" YUE like the beautiful celestial moon"
' Yes!!, I gave her the name! woohoo!! '